Search - Arild Andersen, John Taylor, Bill Frisell :: Molde Concert

If You Like Your Jazz With Big Clunky Rock Beats....

Jason Gubbels | San Diego, CA | 11/05/2004

(2 out of 5 stars)

"Immaculately recorded concert from the early 1980s by a gifted bassist who, in my opinion, falls back too often on cloying (and corny) melodies and chord changes to truly be taken seriously as a great jazz artist.

The band is a good one - early Bill Frisell, still seeking out his tone and working with a somewhat limited palate here; John Taylor on piano; and Alphonse Mouzon, who some people can't seem to get enough of. I remain put off by his constant ham-handedness and dull rock beats. Look, it's a hang-up of mine - I don't like the big 4/4 in jazz unless it's tied to really dirty skronk. Put it together with light pretty little European songs, and then call it jazz - yeah, I know that's been the ECM approach for a while now, but I still remain unmoved by the whole process. (This isn't really a slam against ECM, either - I think they unfairly get maligned, and that one look at their back catalogue proves they've been one of the most important record labels of the past 25 years. Still, they do have some stinkers out there.)

This is in no way an awful cd, but apart from a few clever tunes and some decent interplay, it never rises above the commonplace. Add to that the already-mentioned schmaltz factor, and a really weird crowd that bursts into rapturous applause at the most bizarre moments, and this concert recording becomes an item only for (check one) :

1) ECM completists

2) Arild Andersen completists

3) Bill Frisell completists

4) Alphonse Mouzon / John Taylor completists

"

An ECM masterpiece!!

drummernik | 06/14/2001

(5 out of 5 stars)

"This is a "live" masterpiece by four incredible players - Arild Andersen, Alphonse Mouzon, Bill Frisell and John Taylor. First track is "Cherry Tree" which begins with a thunder-storm by Mouzon ( yeah!). The song is quite free and it has every musician playing a solo. The second tune "Targeta" is a wonderful ballad. It begins with John Taylor playing alone this wonderful melody and then Bill Frisell, Mouzon and Andersen come in. John Taylor takes an amazing solo as well as Frisell. This song is one of the killer cuts of the Cd. "Six For Alphonse" is for me ( as drummer and Mouzon fan) the best cut on the Cd. Mouzon plays a six bar intro and keeps this awesome groove thru the whole song. Andersen is so fast on that tune and Frisell and Taylor do solos which blows me away everytime!! The "thriller" on that song is Mouzon's drum solo - it's one of the best solo I've ever heard. Just listen and you will hear how crazy this man is. "Nutune" is for the showcase of Andersen's teriffic playing. This man is amazing... "Lifelines" is a beautiful duo by Andersen and Frisell...very inpsirational. Another killer cut is "The Sword under his wings". It has a magic feeling and the true killers on that song are once again Andersen ( who takes a master solo) and Mouzon. The funny song of the Cd is "Commander Schmuck's Earflap Hat"- very joyful! "Koral" a beautiful, silent ballad and "Cameron" the agressive superb song are followers. "A song I used to play" is the greatest ballad out of four ballads. This is also for me the second killer cut after "Six For Alphonse" which were both not released on Lp - they're along with the final funky song "Dual Mr.Tillman Anthony" the three previously unreleased songs. I must say, that's on my Top 10 Cds of all time. PS: For all Mouzon fans HIGHLY recommended!"

Classic live album

Bill Shakes | NH United States | 08/18/2007

(5 out of 5 stars)

"The Molde Concert is a superb album by four great players at the top of their form, and the live ambience only adds to the sense of occasion and sponteneity. Frisell, Andersen, and Mouzon are all excellent throughout (the duet between Frisell and Andersen is a high point), but Taylor's piano particularly shines here. Hard to find but definitely worth the effort.



God save us from the enforcers of "true jazz." The idea in the previous review that this is one of ECM's stinkers is utterly ludicrous."